Atletico and Diego Simeone the man in black, the master of the dark defensive arts, the two go hand in hand like salt and pepper and, bothclub and player have had huge success largely playing spoiler . They have just finished top 3 in La Liga for the eighth straight season and are in the last 8 of this competition for the 5th time since 2014 and have also won three Europa Leagues since 2010, all under Simeone, an awesome record for a club who had won one La Liga title in almost four decades and no international tournament since 1974 ! But it was not enough, Simeone had just one domestic league title to his name and lost both Champions League finals . He felt something had to change and we saw a LOT of money spent last summer and a "new" Atletico this season, one creating chances instead of stopping them and it was fun for a while and promised much, but didn't work and I spoke about this ahead of their home game with Liverpool in the R16 which, incredibly, was six months ago now .......

 

 

They won that 1-0 and also recorded an unlikely 3-2 win at Anfield to get the job done in a game which will be remembered more for causing a huge surge in coronavirus numbers in the UK than for the exciting on field events. They were fortunate to beat Liverpool over the two legs, but it signalled a return to form and the old Atletico, they are now unbeaten in 18 starts and in their last 10 have kept six clean sheets and only conceded more than a single goal once and that in a 2-2 draw away to Barcelona. With nemesis and rival Real Madrid out of the competition and Barce and PSG looked below previous levels, Atleti must feel this could be their year. They have, unbelievably, lost to Real in two finals, a quarter final and semi all in the last six years, the two finals after ET !

 

Simeone is not the kind of guy most opposition players and supporters like too much, but his own squad would run through a brick wall for him if he asked them to and they will take a lot of stopping now that they have (re)found their self belief.

 

The extended season and break has hardly helped RB Leipzig much, the first has cost them star player Timo Werner who has already moved to Chelsea and the second has hindered their high intensity hard press which is difficult to just turn off and on and requires the team to be at full fitness, which they are not . Four of Leipzig's last eight Champions League goals have come from the penalty spot and of the four from open play, two were provided by Werner. This is a step up for RBL the only other top eight team they have faced in the competition is Lyon and they conceded twice in each (2-2, 0-2).  They have a number of key players carrying knocks, if Yussuf Poulsen were to miss out, for instance, they would be without 39 goals and 26 assists (the totals he and Werner have amassed this season). Another semi final for Atletico.